Combined controller and circuit-closer.



DB WITT 0. GOOK INGHAM.

COMBINED OONTBOLLBB AND OIBUUII' CLOSER.

AIPLIOATIOH rum) 511M211, 1901.

91 1 ,030. Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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DE WITT G. GOOKINGHAM.

COMBINED GONTROLLBR AND 011101111" CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 1 1, 190'].

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

3 SHEETS-BEL 2.

a VF N DB WITT G. GOOKINGHAM. COMBINED CONTROLLER AND 0112mm CLOSER. APPLICATION FILED SBP'I'.11,1907.

91 1,030. Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

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I 3 YIN E l? 1 2 Wain w e d Arm/61 for! M mm c. cwmu mm @iflw [ix zWMwM w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DE WITT C. OOOKINGHAM, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAUCH AND LANG GAR- RIAGE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

COMBINED CONTROLLER AND CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed September 11, 1907.. Serial No. 392,284.

lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the resent invention is to provide an improve arrangement for the control of electrically operated machines, particularly electric automobiles.

An object of the invention is to rovide means whereby the machine may e left with safety by the operator without. danger of an unauthorized personusing or operating the. same during his. absence.

It is further my purpose to provide means whereby the operator may throw open the circuit closer instantly in an emergency, without either reference to the position of the controller handle or the necessity of using two hands or making any material movement of the operating hand.

It is also my purpose, in addition to the above named ob ects, to provide an arrangement whereby when the circuit is once open it will thereafter be impossible to close the same until the controller is thrown to its ofi position regardless of what position the controller may have been in when the circuit was thrown open.

The above named objects, it will be seen, are obtained by the mechanism which I describe below, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the general arrangement of parts in my combined controller and circuit closer. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2'2, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, and Fi 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 5. ig. 5 is a side view of the controller handle with the side late removed and the stem of the circuit 0 os'er partly broken away to show the construction of the detail parts, the circuit being open. Fig. 6 is a side view of the controller handle with a sideplato thereon, but broken away showing, the position of certain parts-when the circuitis closed. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal cross section of the controller handle. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the stem of the circmt closer. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the catch which holds the stem of the circuit closer against retraction after it has once been 0 ened. Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the 02; which holds the spring for operating I the catch for the circuit closer stem. 11, 12 and 13 are respectively sectlonal, si e and end views of the detent for holding the circuit closer in its closed position. Figs.

14 and 15 are perspective views, looking from opposite ends, of the locking barrel which is interposed between the key lock and the circuit closer stem.

In the drawings it will be seen that the controller handle A is mounted on and keyed to a rock shaftB, through, the medium of which the controller 0 is. operated, as shown in Fig.v ,1, the connections between the con: troller and the said rock shaft being obtained by means of a crank B and link connection B so that when the controller arm is thrown in one direction, as for example forward as in Fig. 1, the controller will be on, whereas when the handle is thrown in the other direction, that is to say backward in Fig. 1, the controller will be in the off position. In Fig. 1 it will be seen, of course, that the piv oted arm 13 to which the link B is connected is constructed so as to be pivoted at one end B to the frame of the machine.

The controller handle is made in the form of a casing A and has at one end thereof, and rigidly connected thereto, the tciinir als D for the circuit for the machine, which circuit may be closed by means of a brush E bearin a ainst the terminals and operated throng t 1e medium of a stem E lying the casing ol" the controller handle. This stem has at its u per end a hand piccc ii projecting througii a slot in the upper end of the handle casing in such proximity to the grip A of the handle that the lower part of the hand of the operator may be thrust against said hand-piece without making any material movement of the hand away from the grip, for the purpose of thrustin the said stem downward and o suing the circuit when it is desired. This land-piece is also properly shaped so that the stem may be drawn u by a finger and the circuit closed.

In or or that the position of the stem of the circuit closer may be properly controlled, I provide in the handle casing a tension spring F suitably secured at one end to the casing and secured at the other end to a sliding detent F. This detent, as shown 'in Figs 11,12 and 13, is of a Y shape and has a socket F in one leg F receiving a projection E from the side of the said stem. As the tension spring is secured to the middle leg F i of the Y, there is obviously a tension pulling the stem E downward, and when this downward movement is checked by means of a shoulder E on the stem bearing against the frame, there will obviously be a tendency to rock the Y detent inward and thrust the end of the third leg F in the direction which would be designated as downward in Figs. 5 and 6. For the urpose of affording a bearing for the end 0' time third leg F of the Y sha ed detent, I provide an inclined shoulder i 3 along the side of the frame, this shoulder having a rounded and A over which the end of the detent leg F drops and binds when thestem of the circuit closer is drawn up into the closing position, The tension of the spring holds the free end of the detent down behind this rounded shoulder, but the curves or angles of the shoulder and the bearing surface of the detent are such that a quick thrust of the hand down-,

ward. onto the hand-piece E of the stem will cause the detent to ride up on the shoulder and release the stem so that the tension of the spring F shall draw it downward and open the circuit by reason of the brush E being carried away from the circuit terminals D.

By reasonof the hand-piece E on the stem being, as above stated, in immediate proximity to the grip A of the controller handle, the operator can in an emergency thrust his hand quickly downward against the said hand-piece and o en the circuit without pulling the controler handle back, and is thus independent of any chance sticking of the controller or of any obstruction such as bundles or other im ediments, dropping behind the controller l iandle. It is to be particularl noted that with this detent arrangement t e circuit closing stem is held up socurely in all positions of the controllerhandie, and yet is capable of instant release, likewise in all positions.

In order that a thoughtless or careless 0 erator may not close the circuit while t e controller is in its on osition, I provide an automatic catch, for the stern, consisting of a spring pressed slide G, as is shown in Figs. 4 and 9, which is normally thrust outward and has onits inner end a rojection adapted to fit into a notch E in tie side of the stem when the latter is thrown downward so that the circuit is open. For'the purpose of the better assembling of parts, I provide as a shouider for receiving the lnner thrust of the compression spring G which throws the catch outward, a small" box G2 fitting into a proper socket in the frame, the

compression sprin being interposed between the inner end of t is box, and a shoulder G at the outer end of the catch. This catch,

being automatically thrown into the notch E on the stem when the latter is in its down or open position, it will plainly be impossible to draw the said stem back so that the circuit will be closed, as will be seen by reference to F i s. 5 and 6, unless the catch be ushed and he d inward away from said note 1 E in the stem at the same time that the stem is drawn upward. It will, therefore, be impossible for an r operator to carelessly or ftbSOIlt-llillltledl y draw the stem upward. He may, however, retract or lift the stem by throwing the controller handle back to the off position, at which oint I rovide a stop G on the frame of t ie machine, see Fig. 1, in such position as to thrust the catch in and release the stern so that it may be pulled upward. By this means l insure that thoughtless and hcedlcss persons shall be relieved of the danger of closing the circuit while the controller is on, and thus avoid the numerous accidents vhich occur with electric automobiles, by reason of this carelessness.

In order that the machine may be pro;

tected against use by an unauthorized person during the absence of the operator, I provide means for locking the circuit closer in its open position, with a Yale or other equivalent lock, the key for which the operator may carry with him.

In the upper part of the frame a small lock case H is provided having projecting from the inner end of the turning member a lug ll which fits into a notch H on one' side of a revolvin barrel H On the other side of the rave ving barrel is a slot H of suitable width to permit the assa e of the stem E of the circuit closer t cret rough, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15. The parts are arranged so that when the key is inserted and is turned to the unlockin position, the slot II in said revolving barre will be in alineinent with the edge of the stem E and permit the same to be drawn up therethrough, see Figs. 5 and 6. When the stem is in its downward, or open position, however, that portion of the stem which is adjacent to the barrel H is suflicicntly cut away as at E to permit the latter to be turned b r means of the look so that its notch H wil be out of alinenient with the edge of the stem and the latter may not be again pulled up into closed osition untilthc key be again turned to un ocking position. It will thus be seen that the operator can, when he has once opened the circuit in any osition of the controller, turn the key to ocking position and remove it, leaving the machine in such condition that it cannot be operated by any person except one having a key for this particular'lock. For the up ose of holding the stern somewhat stea y in i 1ts sliding position, it will be noticed that I have provided a projecting In E thereon which rides against a short rib cast on the inner side of the side plate as shown in Fig. 3.

From the above description it will be seen, that many advantages are obtained over the prior art. For example, in those machines where the circuit closer is absolutely independent ol the controller, as in places where a plain plug is used, it is well known that anyone can use the machine at any time by inserting nails, sr rews and similar imperfect ringsinto the soul-mt, which is always 0 en. Further, the operator is at any time liab e to insert the circuit closin plug, at a time when the controller is in. its on position, thus causing the machine to dart suddenly forward with an accident possibly resulting. Again in an emergency it is only by the quickest movement and entire release of the controller handle, that the operator may remove the lug and open the circuit, should the controller for any reason stick. Furthermore these plugs themselves, as circuit closers, are not thoroughly efficient since each imperfection which they may have in the be inning is increased by the formation of smal arcs, fusing the metal and forming globules thereof.

In those cases where it has been desired to guard against the use of the machine by unauthorized persons, by the provision of an automatic '1 ale lock to a door or shutter proct-ting the ordinary plug, it has been found that in an emergency it is an absolute impossibility for anyone to open the lock and get the plug out within a reasonable amount of time, and this in any case requires the use of both hands. With said former arrangement there is no guard against the insertion of the plug by an absent-minded operatoiyhimself, when the controller is in its onosition. There are also certain structures in w ich the circuit closer is o erated directly by the key, the turning of w ich closes the circuit, but with said arrangement there is nothing to provide against the absent-minded or careess closing of the circuit when the controller handle is on one of the running notches. Again, if the controller handle should stick, it obviously would require quite an amount of time and skill to manipulate the key to open the circuit.

In those prior devices in which a mereindicalor is used, such as a falling or sliding gate covering the plug socket in order to warn the careless o" era'tor that the controller handle is forwarc before he shall insert the plug, no

rovision is had for preventing strangers rom using the machine, and the operator is in an as embarrassed situation when an emergency occurs as in the case of any of the other prior devices.

All of the above indicated disadvantages of the prior structures are overcome in my arrangement, as I have pointed out, since no close the circuit except a person possessing a key fitting'th'e particular lock, and this is true regard ess of the position of the controller handle when the circuit was last opened or at the time of att'em ted use.

The operator ma in case ofifrig tor actual danger instant v open the circuit with the hand by which the controller is operated without moving the same other than to give it a quick downward thrust, and this indeendently of whether the controller sticks, or is on or off. Further the operator, no matter how careless or how absenteminded, cannot draw the circuit closer up until the controller handle is drawn hack to the position where the controller is off.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, an electric controller having a movable handle operatively connected thereto, a movable circuit closing device carried by said handle, and means for positively holding the circuit closing device against a closing movement when the controller is on.

2. In combination, an electric controller having a movable handle operatively connected thereto, a movable circuit closing device and retaining means for reventing the movement of said device to c ose the circuit when the controller is on, and means renders ing inoperative said retaining means which prevents the closing movement of the circuit closer, said means for rendering the retaining means inoperative being so located as to beerigfme operative only when the controller 18 o 3. In combination, an electric controller, a handle operatively connected therewith, a circuit closer, a yieldable detent for holding said circuit closer in closed position, and means carried by said handle and located adjacent to the hand grip thereon adapted to receive suiiicient pressure to overcome the yieldable detent and open the circuit closer.

4. In combination, an electric controller having a handle operatively connected thereperson can with, a circuit closer carried by said handle,

means for retaining the circuit closer in closed position, means adjacent to the grip of said andle adapted to release said retaining menas, and means for holding said circuit closer open until the controller is returned to the off position.

5. In combination, an electric controller, a handle therefor, circuit closing means carried by said handle, a hand-engaging part for said circuit closing means located adiacent to the grip of the handle, a catch for holding the circuit closer open except when the controller is in the off position, and a ke operated lock adapted to lock the circuit 0 oser in open osition. v a

6. n combination, an electric controller having a movable handle operatively con nested thereto, a movable circuit closing device and retmnm means for preventing the movement oi S2115 device to 01086 the circuit when the controller is on, a stop positioned to render said retaining means inoperative when the controller is in its oil POSlLlOII.

7. In combination, an electric controller, :1 movable handle operatively connected with the same, a circuit closer, means ca ried by i said handle adapted to open said c r'wii closer, and a key lock adapted to low]: mid circuit closer in the open position.

in teslimony whereof, l hereunto eflir: n1 signature in the presence of two i-time DE \HTT U. U()( )KlN G1 [AM Witnesses H. H. SULLIVAN, E. B. ('hronmer. 

